Wolves have been given a green light in their chase of Chicago Fire goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina, with the latest reports suggesting that Chelsea have cooled their interest in the teenage shot-stopper.
What's the word?
Wolves have been heavily linked with the American youngster this summer but it seemed as if they would be edged out by Premier League rivals Chelsea, while Real Madrid were also said to be interested.
However, the latest report from the Evening Standard claims that Wolves could hijack the Blues' move for the 'keeper after talks with Chelsea went cold, with Thomas Tuchel's side seemingly either unable or unwilling to complete a deal for the 18-year-old.
Shi must act
While Wolves already possess one of the best shot-stoppers outside of the top six in Jose Sa, Slonina clearly has a huge ceiling and could be the long-term replacement for the Portuguese goalkeeper at Molineux.
Despite being just 18, Slonina has already made 40 MLS appearances for Chicago Fire, in which he has conceded 40 goals and kept 11 clean sheets.
Slonina's agent Jaime Garcia, while likely biased, was full of praise for the teenager when the links to Real Madrid first surfaced, saying:
"He's worked very hard, he is an unbelievable person and player as well, but the person is remarkable. I've only met a few people who work as hard as he does. He's a very smart and courageous young man."
Chelsea had originally agreed to a £10m deal to sign Slonina, so he could represent a bargain option for Wolves this summer, as even if he doesn't establish himself as a starter straight away, his obvious potential suggests that he could be a regular for the Old Gold in the not too distant future.
Therefore, Wolves chairman Jeff Shi should take advantage of Chelsea stalling and work quickly to bring Slonina to Molineux this summer.